Head up, watch for announcement re Saudi troops

[AnnInLa]

MSNBC Lester Holt was interviewing a retired military officer who said negotiations are going on that would bring in the Saudi troops to relieve the American troops...and to some extent, Jordanian and a few Turkish troops could be involved. Announcement to be made in time for election? Bringing troops home....re-elect Bush! Are those Saudis friends, or what?

[Massacure]

1. Saudis aren't as well trained

[TheWraith]

14. Not to mention...

...the fact that the Saudi military aren't exactly the most upstanding people in the world. As a matter of fact, they have a distinct reputation for corruption.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. The Asia Times is saying the same thing about the Russians

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FG27Ak01.html

Do not be surprised to see three or four divisions of the Russian army in the Sunni triangle before year-end, with an announcement just prior to the US presidential election in November. Long rumored (or under negotiation), a Russian deployment of 40,000 soldiers was predicted on July 16 by the US intelligence site www.stratfor.com, and denied by the Russian Foreign Ministry on July 20. Nonetheless, the logic is compelling. Russian support for US occupation forces would make scorched earth of Senator John Kerry's attack on the Bush administration's foreign policy, namely its failure to form effective alliances. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the chance to make scorched earth of Fallujah is even more tempting.

[rooboy]

5. Sending troops to Iraq would weaken Putin

After the Soviet experience in Afghanistan, and the ongoing deaths coming out of Chechnya, there is no way he'll be sending troops to Iraq.

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. That doesn't mean the Powell & Co

isn't going around begging everybody and his brother to send troops. Or that they aren't spreading these stories to make people think that they can still pull together a coalition. They are so desperate at this point, they would even try to broker a deal with the devil himself, if he would send troops to Iraq.

[0007]

13. A joke or what, the Russian guarding 14 U.S. military installations

being build. While junior brings the troops home. Who's kidding who?

[Carni]

3. Well hell he took Iraq over for them...

So they may as well be on site to make sure the whole damn place just turns into an extension of their shitty country.

[bahrbearian]

12. The Saudi's can demonstrate how a Beheading is really done.

[Carni]

29. BTW did you guys know

That fat ass "bandar bush" is the son of the Saudi defense minister?

Unger and Moore have this situation dead to rights IMO

[Fovea]

4. I think that if Saudi troops leave Saudi Arabia

That they will go right back to deal with the insurrection. This is possibly a planted story.

[whistle]

6. Yes they are, friends of the Carlyle Group and Dubya's dad...

...With the crap that is taking place in Iraq right now, I just pray that our troops can keep their heads down and they stay out of harms way until they can be safely brought home. This entire Iraq/Afghanistan adventure by George W Bush has been a complete failure, although our troops have performed exquisitely. Given the fact that they were sent into harms way under false premises it should be our duty to get them home as soon as possible and as safely as possible. Let the Saudis and other Middle Eastern powers take the hit of straightened out the Al Quida mess! Oh, they can also start paying for it too.

[Wright Patman]

19. Performed exquisitely?

The entire operation was and is a war crime perpetrated against a large number of international laws, treaties and conventions.

Then some at Abu Ghraib were given blatantly illegal orders to torture prisoners, most of whom had been rounded up without probable cause other than they were Iraqi males, and these soldiers "performed" this on them "exquisitely" and they were "just following orders."

But that's okay because WE ARE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND OUR FUHRER SPEAKS TO GOD AND GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIM. And the rest of the world can either bow in submission to the Unholy Chimp or go pound sand. Don't kid yourself. The vast majority of the soldiers still believe Commander-in-Chimp is God. Mind control techniques have been perfected on them or we would never have gotten this far into this mess.

Gawd, I am sick of this nonsense. Calling good evil and evil good. When will it ever end?

[Dover]

7. I find it hard to believe the Saudi Royals would risk that level of

cooperation with the U.S. while the anti-American sentiments are so strong in the ME.

[ewagner]

16. That's correct

Saudi Royals would bring the full wrath of the extremeists (which they spawned) down upon themselves and risk loss of the empire if they were seen closely cooperating with the "infidels".

[a_random_joel]

30. Cooperating with the "infidels" and perceived "zionsts",

That'll play well in the Saudi heartland...

[MGKrebs]

8. Well if they hold true to form,

they will ANNOUNCE it just before the election, but then it will never actually happen.

[leQ]

20. my thoughts exactly n/t

.

[mumon]

9. this is spooge

If Saudi troops come to Iraq, it's civil war time all over again...AND the Saudis get the OSAM thing back.

Remember, we're there to "protect the oil fields," and we ain't leaving any time soon.

Or at least until oil hits $75 a barrel.

[daleo]

10. The worst of all possible moves

Talk about poking a stick into a hornet's nest, putting Saudi troops in to occupy Iraq.

[Nashyra]

15. If they pull this shit and expect them too

they need a well placed anonymous source to start bringing out the true/not true medicated president story. Hey even if it's a rumor it needs to be dispelled considering he only told the US about the drunk driving 5 days before the election and the fact that his military records are so screwed up. The people should know well ahead of the election so everyone knows it's about the facts not partisan politics.

[Dover]

17. The Russian story about troops could be true if Putin is returning the

favor. I think the U.S. backed off on Chechnya when Putin was up for election and I believe Baker has been over their 'helping' with elections. Also, remember that Russia was invited to be a 'witness' to our own 2000 elections.

So it's not entirely out of the question that Russia might help the Bushies out a bit.

And we know the Saudi Royals WOULD if the could. Just don't know that they can afford to do it with the tensions in their region.

And who knows what other backroom deals have been made.

[UpInArms]

18. related article: Saudi Arabia Proposes Islamic Force in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21736-2004Jul28.html

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, July 28 --In talks with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Saudi Arabia today proposed the creation of an Islamic force to help stabilize Iraq and potentially someday replace at least some of the U.S.-led military coalition, according to senior Arab diplomats here.

At a joint press conference with Powell, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Faisal confirmed that the proposal is now on the table but refused to provide specifics until further discussions with Powell over a working dinner.

But a senior State Department official traveling with Powell reacted positively to the initial idea. "We're interested. It could be useful. We have to flush it out," he said. He described it as a "supplemental force."

The Saudi government also talked today with Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, who is also visiting the kingdom, about the prospects for a new Islamic force. Saudi Arabia and Iraq agreed today to restore relations and reopen embassies in each other's capitals.

Saudi Arabia has been involved in behind-the-scenes diplomacy for at least two weeks exploring the possibility of a force from Muslim nations. Saud held talks recently with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in Vienna to discuss specifics. The current coalition of 31 countries has U.N. approval.

...more...

[AnnInLa]

22. Tom Brokaw just reported...

Tom B. just reported the same thing...mark my words, even if DUers think it is improbable, it the only way out for the Repubs this election...to convince some country to take over so that a large portion of the troops come home....definite announcement plans just before the election. If it happens, I am glad for our troops, sad for the Dems.

[UpInArms]

25. then it will be up to us to remind everyong

of Iran and Syria, North Korea and China - oh yeah, wasn't Russia on the PNACer's list too?

[daleo]

27. Then, after the election U.S. troops can head back to Iraq

And also to Saudi Arabia, since the House of Saud will need the House of Bush to prop it up, after enraging public opinion at home. It is just...diabolical on the part of BFEE/PNAC.

[MGKrebs]

33. And my contention is that really all they need is

the APPEARANCE of having convinced another country to "take over".

it is ALL PR with these guys. Keep yourself available in October... we will have a lot of PR to deal with.

[Dover]

21. What PRICE all these favors? I'm afraid they continue to sell us

down the river for their own personal power.

[teryang]

23. The Saudis?

given the power struggle in Saudi Arabia for control of the regime and the domestic terrorism there, sending troops will just be one further step in destabilizing the regime.

Their leadership couldn't possibly that stupid, could they?

I would expect Putin to make promises and then not deliver. That way he gets a weakening, corrupt and badly led America continuing in a downward spiral. He won't pay the price. He'll take as much as he can get and give as little as possible.

[lottie244]

24. Hey, the Saudi people trying to overthrow the monarchy won't care about

their military being killed in Iraq. Makes them weaker at home. Maybe they can overthrow their dictators while the military is in Iraq?

[truthisfreedom]

26. lessee now. the vast majority of the 9-11 highjackers were Saudi and none

were Iraqi. but we invaded Iraq because of 9-11, and now we're enlisting the Saudis help.

makes sense in the black-is-white, up-is-down world of gw.

[tedzbear]

28. Not going to happen.

There is no way the Saudi Sunni army is going to be allowed into Iraq by the Iraqi Shiite majority. You want to see violence and bloodshed, then get a load of what happens when Saudis occupy Iraq.

No way.

[a_random_joel]

31. Oh the irony!

In '91 we were defending the Saudis from the supposed invasion by Iraq.

In '03 we invade Iraq, and then hand the keys over the Saudis...

[KansDem]

32. The question still remains "Why now?"

This would be a bit too obvious: People will want to know why Bush didn't have the Saudis in his coalition at the outset. They will also wonder why Bush waited so long and, had he acted sooner, how many American soldier's lives would have been saved.

[RobinA]

34. Nonsense

We didn't grab the Iraqi oil fields just to turn them over to the Saudis.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

35. Major diversionary story....lull the trusting souls to sleep.

[GaryL]

36. Eeeeeuuuuuuwwwwww!

Can you say insurrection? If the Turks so much as set foot in Iraq the Kurds will go nuts. This has got to be a load of BS unless the goal is to have Iraq go completely up in flames. They may bring in a few thousand but that's it.